1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure is directed to a backlight assembly and a display device having the backlight assembly. More particularly, the present disclosure is directed to a backlight assembly used for a flat display device and a display device having the backlight assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art
Due to rapid advances in semiconductor technology, electronic equipment is now smaller, thinner, lighter in weight, and has lower driving voltages, lower power consumption, etc. Flat panel display devices having the above characteristics are becoming more in demand.
Liquid crystal display (LCD) devices, which are a type of flat panel display, are also thinner, lighter, and have lower power consumption and lower driving voltages than other types of display devices, and have high color reproducibility that is close to that of cathode ray tube (CRT) display devices. Thus, LCD devices have been widely used in various fields.
A backlight assembly of a conventional LCD device is classified as either a direct illumination type backlight assembly or an edge illumination type backlight assembly according to the location of light sources.
In the direct illumination type backlight assembly, the light sources are disposed under a display panel of the LCD device. In the edge illumination type backlight assembly, the light sources are disposed at a side portion of a light-guide plate and supply the display panel with light.
In the edge illumination type backlight assembly, a receiving container and mold frame that receives optical members such as the light-guide plate and supports the display panel have various structures. For example, the edge illumination type backlight assembly used for a notebook computer includes the light-guide plate, a mold frame receiving a lamp, optical sheets and a back cover covering a rear surface of the mold frame. The lamp surrounded by a lamp reflector is disposed at a sidewall of the mold frame.
The edge illumination type backlight assembly used for a monitor of a desktop computer includes a bottom chassis receiving the light-guide plate and a supporting frame receiving the light-guide plate and facing the bottom chassis. The lamp is inserted into the lamp reflector, and the side surface portion of the light-guide plate is inserted into the lamp reflector.
The edge illumination type backlight assembly may include many elements surrounding the lamp that interfere with the dissipation of heat generated from the lamp, having an adverse effect on the display panel.
Also, as the number of the elements increases, the weight and thickness of the backlight assembly also increases, increasing the weight and thickness of the LCD device.
To decrease the weight, thickness and volume of the backlight assembly, it is desirable to decrease the number of the elements of the backlight assembly.